Painfully slow for a while... problem or time to upgrade? - Galaxy S I9000 Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

Hi,
I did check other threads but I couldn't find anything directly related to this. I run my Galaxy S on an official firmware and don't have any mod installed. Well, aside from having it rooted.Firmware version is 2.3.6 xxjw4.
For a few months now, I feel the phone is getting slower and slower but now is becoming ridiculous. I mean, too many times it might take up to 5 seconds just to unlock the screen or get into the contact list. I have very few apps installed and I think I make a light use of it... basically, I use it as a phone, I use the calendar for appointments and I browse the internet. That's pretty much it. I use the full Opera browser though, and that's a heavy one. I also know about the need to sometimes unmount the SD card.
So anyway, my question is this... might it be the case that this phone is getting old and its hardware can't cope like it used to with its software? Or could it be some other problem that I don't even know how to ask about or check?
Cheers!

Maybe its time for you to flash a custom ics/jb rom? For ics , i recommend SlimIcs: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1488096

Mongopusher42 said:
Maybe its time for you to flash a custom ics/jb rom? For ics , i recommend SlimIcs: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1488096
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
At the beginning when I started to have this phone, I was using stock rom, I could not cope either with the tendency of this phone to micro-freeze and developpers brought a tweak called "lagfix" it saved the world for this phone... no more freeze due to non efficient memory management.
Now it's standard on any custom rom, so yes... go for a custom rom.

Badzoo said:
At the beginning when I started to have this phone, I was using stock rom, I could not cope either with the tendency of this phone to micro-freeze and developpers brought a tweak called "lagfix" it saved the world for this phone... no more freeze due to non efficient memory management.
Now it's standard on any custom rom, so yes... go for a custom rom.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thas wassup

Thanks guys and I'm sorry to acknowledged your answers so late... I thought I had set it to instant notification but I apparently didn't!
Yes, I remember the lag-fix thing, it did wonders for this phone.
I'll try the custom rom because this is just getting insane... just today it took me a good full minute to go from checking emails to get out of there to get into my contact list and return a missing call. I would go with a Galaxy III but the thing is a bit huge and second it's still at a novelty price. I'm sure I can get one much cheaper in a couple of months.
Well, thanks so much once more and I'll let you know how it goes! :good:

Done, much, much faster!! But the interface looks ... Nothing is familiar anymore, have to go through it all over again :laugh:

Kutusov said:
Done, much, much faster!! But the interface looks ... Nothing is familiar anymore, have to go through it all over again :laugh:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
try this MIUI v4 the interface is much easy.

Samtan4326 said:
try this MIUI v4 the interface is much easy.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, currently I had to revert to a xxjw4 as somehow all my contacts wouldn't be backed up. Strange thing really as it started by showing up the right names on my contact log but they would be replaced by just the numbers. I made several attempts to restore those via Titanium Backup Pro but they wouldn't stick. Couldn't find any reference to this anywhere except a single post on a forum by someone complaining about the same problem and the answer was that those with be retrieved by Google sync. Not in my case...
I haven't given up yet but for now I do need those for work so I had to go back. Funny thing is that it's no longer lagging as it was, maybe because of all the wiping data and system and cache I had to go through.

Kutusov said:
Well, currently I had to revert to a xxjw4 as somehow all my contacts wouldn't be backed up. Strange thing really as it started by showing up the right names on my contact log but they would be replaced by just the numbers. I made several attempts to restore those via Titanium Backup Pro but they wouldn't stick. Couldn't find any reference to this anywhere except a single post on a forum by someone complaining about the same problem and the answer was that those with be retrieved by Google sync. Not in my case...
I haven't given up yet but for now I do need those for work so I had to go back. Funny thing is that it's no longer lagging as it was, maybe because of all the wiping data and system and cache I had to go through.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
if you backup your contacts try using file explorer to restore back by click on the xxx.vcf file, the contacts will restore back after you select the vcf file , good luck.

Samtan4326 said:
if you backup your contacts try using file explorer to restore back by click on the xxx.vcf file, the contacts will restore back after you select the vcf file , good luck.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ah, so that's the file, thanks!! It kept asking me for a vcard on the SD card which didn't made much sense I'll have to try it during the weekend, even after rolling back I've spent the day with all those little problems you forget about fixing, like trying to take calls while driving and the phone not recognizing the bluetooth earpiece...

Moving to custom rom
I too had 2.3.6 xxjw4 on my SGS GT-I9000. Changing to a custom rom has given my phone a new lease of life! I moved to RemICS-UX, which is an ICS rom (perhaps not suitable for yourself as bluetooth not functional and development has moved on to Remics-JB, a jelly bean rom).
Beware of moving directly from stock to jelly bean custom rom. Many have run into trouble doing this. The wisdom from above is to move from stock to ICS before moving to a JB rom.
As for contacts, I previously set my phone to back up and sync my contacts to my Google account (Setting->Accounts & sync). Then, when the phone reboots after rom installation, Google syncs all my contacts back to my phone. Of course, I do nandroid, Titanium, and MyBackup backups - belt and braces!
Also don't forget to back up your efs folder with its imei details in it. Some people have lost their imei details when flashing, and this may save you the trouble of reflashing xxjw4 to recover it.

My phone is supposed to synch with my Google account and does it more often than I would wish! I feel it noticeably slows everything down when it's synhcing away. Even so, it was unable to get my contacts back. I'm really not sure what happened because when it booted up after recovery, I did had most of the right names on my contact log but a then they were replaced by the numbers only. Contact folder was always empty too...
BTW, where is the xxx.vcf located? Can't find it anywhere....

vcf backup
Kutusov said:
...snip...
BTW, where is the xxx.vcf located? Can't find it anywhere....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You create the vcf file prior to flashing. Go to Contacts->touch menu button->choose 'import/export'->choose 'export to storage'. You will be told the name of the vcf file and its location (in my own case 'mnt/sdcard/00001.vcf'. You can open the vcf file with a text editor and even make a backup on external card. To restore after flashing, go to Contacts->import/export->import from storage.

Oct-Al said:
You create the vcf file prior to flashing. Go to Contacts->touch menu button->choose 'import/export'->choose 'export to storage'. You will be told the name of the vcf file and its location (in my own case 'mnt/sdcard/00001.vcf'. You can open the vcf file with a text editor and even make a backup on external card. To restore after flashing, go to Contacts->import/export->import from storage.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Right! :good: Just shows how much I know about this stuff
Quick update... re-read everything that was posted here and few other guides and tried to upgrade the ROM all over again during the weekend. I paid special attention to what you (Oct-Al) said about upgrading first to ICS from stock. I don't know the name of ROM but I've used the one that has a ICS333-2.0.1 and a gapps file. All went smoothly but, again, no contacts. The synch thing with Google doesn't work for me also. Synched everything to my account but nothing stays there. I probably have a lot of settings turned off as I tend to opt for maximum privacy and I even disabled that chat thing on my gmail acc.
But now that I know how to create the Vcard I'll give it another try. If all fails I guess I'll just have to fork up some money and get me the SIII although I think that phone is too big. Handled one the other day and it's great with youtube, browsing the internet, etc but carting that thing all day on your trousers' pocket shouldn't be all that nice...

Backup contacts database
Kutusov said:
Right! :good: Just shows how much I know about this stuff
Quick update... re-read everything that was posted here and few other guides and tried to upgrade the ROM all over again during the weekend. I paid special attention to what you (Oct-Al) said about upgrading first to ICS from stock. I don't know the name of ROM but I've used the one that has a ICS333-2.0.1 and a gapps file. All went smoothly but, again, no contacts. The synch thing with Google doesn't work for me also. Synched everything to my account but nothing stays there. I probably have a lot of settings turned off as I tend to opt for maximum privacy and I even disabled that chat thing on my gmail acc.
But now that I know how to create the Vcard I'll give it another try. If all fails I guess I'll just have to fork up some money and get me the SIII although I think that phone is too big. Handled one the other day and it's great with youtube, browsing the internet, etc but carting that thing all day on your trousers' pocket shouldn't be all that nice...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There is another option! How confident are you with SQLite databases?
If you look in data/data/com.android.providers.contacts/databases you will find a database called 'contacts2.db' together with some other stuff. If you use Root Explorer (available from Play store - but not free) you can inspect the database with the internal SQLite viewer and confirm this is the database you want. Back up the folder and its contents before flashing.

Oct-Al said:
There is another option! How confident are you with SQLite databases?
If you look in data/data/com.android.providers.contacts/databases you will find a database called 'contacts2.db' together with some other stuff. If you use Root Explorer (available from Play store - but not free) you can inspect the database with the internal SQLite viewer and confirm this is the database you want. Back up the folder and its contents before flashing.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Funny that posted this just now I was loggin in to give an update. :laugh:
So I've tried a couple more times and ended up with some problem with the external SD card that wouldn't mount and, stupid me, that's where I had the Vcard file.
Anyway, as I have all the files downloaded I'm pretty fast as trying different things now and I've just realized that all hell brakes lose AFTER I try to recover apps + data with Titanium Backup. Flashed CM9 as a pre-requisite to Slim Bean and everything was fine. I could even retrieve my contacts. But after running TB and rebooting I end up with a never ending sequence of failing processes like gmail, media, android something (they are so many and they pop up so fast I can't even read some of them).
So I'm now fairly confident I can do the upgrade but I'll have to do it in the old fashion (to me) way. I'll have to flash the ROM and then download apps by hand, one at a time.
I'm liking so much the looks and ways of Android 4.xx that there is no way I'm going to give up now :silly:

Well, all done now!!! Running Slim Bean 2.3.0 perfectly, with all the contacts. Everything seems fine, except for my calendar that I can't retrieve (there's always something). Not a big deal aside from the birthdays...
So thanks a lot to you all!! :good:

...well, final update...
I started to have a lot of stuff force closing after restoring a back-up from Titanium Backup. Stock Rom settings and data aparently don't go well with the custom Rom.
Anyway, now sorted... ordered myself an HTC One X :victory:

Related

MyBackup

Hey i don't know how popular it is but i love this app! It backs up bookmarks, system setting, sms and more and puts the backup on your sd card. For those flashing phone alot saves alot of headache if you need to wipe. I know there are other ways to backup but hey i like it.
Yea i actually found it as soon as i flashed to jf 1.3, saved me from a whole lot of trouble during my first wipe flashing a theme.
I think its a perfect app. Helps so much after a wipe. If you back up your apps with Astro all your data is saved too .
MyBackup is a must have...
This app is great. Its fast and reliable... Everyone needs a backup of their phone and this app does it best...
now we need to add the app backup capability found in astro into mybackup and it would be the ultimate end user backup utility.
korndub said:
now we need to add the app backup capability found in astro into mybackup and it would be the ultimate end user backup utility.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah that would be sweet!!!
App backup now available
The new version of the application backs up apps now... and has capability to schedule a daily or weekly backup... Complete backup utility now
It would be so perfect if it could install all of the backd up apps without you having to click install and done for every single one.
That would be noicee.
topdnbass said:
It would be so perfect if it could install all of the backd up apps without you having to click install and done for every single one.
That would be noicee.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree with that. Astro is the same way isn't it?
if you rooted you g1, and put your apps on you sdcard, you never need backup you apps, even if you flash/factory reset/wipe/anything else that erases your phone you apps will still be on the ext2 partition on your sdcard i think you can even copy them to your computer if you have a linux machine
Astro is even slower when it comes to reinstalling apps.
As for putting apps on the sd, im gonna wait til google does something about that because i have enough memory left for now. Especially cuz i moved the caches.
Problems with MyBackup
ok, so i did the whole multitouch thing, and now im trying to restore my phone with MyBackup, i backed up all my apps, and all my data to an SD card. Now, i have RC33 with the multitouch add in, and i downloaded MyBackup but when i try to restore the data from the SD card, it gives mr this message: "I/O error: unable to write to SD card. Make sure the SD card is mounted properly and is not connected to your PC."
has anyone else had this problem? The apps restore fine, its only my data (sms,contacts,settings) that gives me that message. Thanks for the help
A reboot fixed that problem for me, though I'm not on RC33.
Yeah it was giving me problems, what it was doing to me is when i restored my system settings the topbar was freaking out and it played ringtones like someone was calling me but no one was, like it is getting the system sounds mixed up. No error messages but still i got rid of it.
Feel lucky. Do *not* restore your contacts using MyBackup. Just re-sync with the google server... I restored using MyBackup and I got duplicates of everyhting and it broke the syncing of my contacts.. For everything else, it worked flawlessly (fantastic for SMS!) but gmail has a backup of your contacts, so there's no use.
Yea, the application says in the opening notes to use either the gmail contact backups or the app, not to use both. There are known issues for sync messing up, but I don't think it is because of the app. Because even without this app people are having a lot of problems with their sync...
I dont know if its just me but when ever I restore my home screen shortcuts all of the shortcuts inside my folders are all messed up or even missing.
For example my games will be in my media folder and my browser short cuts will be in my shopping folder. And some folders will be empty for example my apps folder will be empty and it wont be in anyother folder.
Anyone else have this same problem?
MyBackup Pro
Check it out. This new version solves almost every problem. Restoring all the apps at once does not have any problems at all.. And its just a buck, can not go wrong... Love it!
anybody know where to download this app ? thank you
u tried the market?

Backup Contacts and CM

Good day folks,
I have searched, and maybe I didn't find it, so forgive me if this has been asked already, and just point me in the right direction...
I am simply a user, who enjoys the fine work the community puts out, I am able to flash back and forth, but not much more than that.
1) I was using the latest Cyanogen (via the CM updater program) with a theme (that I can't recall) with the 'Stericson' lockscreen and build. The main reason I used it was for the look and feel, which really made the phone. Unfortunately, I would use said ROM for about 2-3 weeks, until my G1 would become painfully slow, and would Force Close most any application, including phone and what not. I did clear all the various application caches in the 'Applications' menu of the settings, but the only relief I would get would be to reinstall everything about every 2 weeks. This became onerous and since I require a steady phone for my employment, I reverted back to stock for the stability.
I'm not saying this to say anything bad about Cyanogen or the community, and if there was a way to handle the stability and speed of the software, I would go back to in an instant. In any case, alas, I am back to stock. Any thought or comments about it? I'd be happy to research any questions you may have to help you help me here.
2) Before rooting my phone for the first time, I did downgrade to RC29, then backed up the phone. In that backup were my phone contacts, taken from the last sync before I rooted the phone. Due to another completely separate (non-G1 related) software, my contacts on Google have disappeared. When I restored my G1 to the backup of RC29, I noticed my old contacts were there, however, when the G1 synced with the Google Contacts, the servers overwrote the phone. I would like to know how to either a) force the phone to push the old contacts back onto the server, or b) extract the phone contacts from the G1 backup on the card so that I can enter them manually and force them back on the server.
Thank you in advance for your consideration.
Yeah I stopped using Cyanogen once I felt that it became way to "Mainstream" lol
If you ever decide to go back to your rooted G1 try Super D 1.8.
Very Fast and Stable. Have had it for a few weeks now and speed is still the same
but its really upto personal choice and phone. each phone is different in Very Big to the Most minute ways so you would have to try different ones and find one that is to your liking.
I dont know an easy way but I had to do this once... make a backup... restore your old backup... go to the market and download a contacts to sim app... there are a cpl of free ones.. there are some that backup settings and all... then restore todays backup and import your contacts from sim...

[Q] Preserving apps on a 'clean' install.

OK, so my mom insisted that she needs a Nexus One, and that I need to root it for her and put a custom ROM on. She lives in a country where Android phones are not very available. Anyway.
I know what you're thinking - I'd be stuck doing tech support for my mom. Well there was a week of that, and then she ran around bragging about her phone to all her friends, and now THEY ALL WANT ONE.
So I agreed (read: got guilted) into setting another one up for a Close Friend of the Family. Now when I did my mom's she pretty much gave me her google account info and I just set it up for her. What I'd prefer to do is install a bunch of apps and then wipe all the userinfo so they have to put in their own google account info. But when I go into recovery and do a wipe, of course, all the apps go, too.
Is there any simple way of doing this?
jethro1138 said:
OK, so my mom insisted that she needs a Nexus One, and that I need to root it for her and put a custom ROM on. She lives in a country where Android phones are not very available. Anyway.
I know what you're thinking - I'd be stuck doing tech support for my mom. Well there was a week of that, and then she ran around bragging about her phone to all her friends, and now THEY ALL WANT ONE.
So I agreed (read: got guilted) into setting another one up for a Close Friend of the Family. Now when I did my mom's she pretty much gave me her google account info and I just set it up for her. What I'd prefer to do is install a bunch of apps and then wipe all the userinfo so they have to put in their own google account info. But when I go into recovery and do a wipe, of course, all the apps go, too.
Is there any simple way of doing this?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If the apps you're installing are free and non-protected, you can back them up with AppMonster, copy those .apks over onto the new phone, and install there. No need to set up an account for most of those.
codesplice said:
If the apps you're installing are free and non-protected, you can back them up with AppMonster, copy those .apks over onto the new phone, and install there. No need to set up an account for most of those.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
They're all free apps, so that's not a problem. I figured I could adb install, or something like what you're describing, but my concern is whether or not they'll be auto-upgraded through Market (or rather whether they'll get notifications saying updates are available).
Yes, they will be. If you use Titanium for backup, for example, you'll be able to restore the apps before logging in to Market. That's what I do when I change ROMs.
Jack_R1 said:
Yes, they will be. If you use Titanium for backup, for example, you'll be able to restore the apps before logging in to Market. That's what I do when I change ROMs.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's pretty cool... except I realise I still need to do the initial login to the phone to run titanium backup. I want to send this to people so when they turn it on they get the "Welcome to Android!" screen, so they get the little tutorial and get to set up their account directly over there without me having to tell them "Ok click menu, then settings..." etc.
Also, I'd like to setup some applications for them - set up browser homepage/bookmarks, some ADWLauncher settings, and preferably which icons/widgets are on the desktops. I know Titanium can do that (though I'm not sure which setting is the desktop) but again, I'd have to login.
Is there maybe something I can wipe to make it rerun the intro screen?
jethro1138 said:
Is there maybe something I can wipe to make it rerun the intro screen?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
not sure if this will work but...
could you install everything you wanted then go into settings, accounts & sync click on your old account and select "remove account"
let me know if this helps
jonesy420 said:
not sure if this will work but...
could you install everything you wanted then go into settings, accounts & sync click on your old account and select "remove account"
let me know if this helps
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think if you do that it just starts with no account, like if you start it and skip entering n account.
Just build your own gapps-style package with everything you want included, then flash it without even logging in.
Alternatively, using your own phone, backup the apps and settings, and use App Monster out similar to backup Titanium as an apk. Then you can install everything without ever having to sign in...
You can skip the initial sign in by touching the four corners of the screen when the android appears, starting top left and working clockwise...
So if you have already signed in, just follow these steps:
Wipe all data
Boot up and skip sign in
Install apps (Titanium if rooted, App Monster if not)
Make whatever settings you want
Power off
Sent from my Nexus One using XDA App

Optimus Black - One crappy mobile phone?

Hey All,
It is almost 10 months I am using this LG-P970 phone, but until now I've seen nothing but a headache, does anyone else agree?
My main problem (besides the bad performance) is the incident of losing my contacts.
It has happened to me 4 times until now under Froyo, Gingerbread and even Zeus 7 (the most recent incident 2 days ago).
Simply it happens when I open the contacts list, I see that all my contacts are erased in addition to the call log, and I am very aware it is not a matter of contacts display setting as some people might suggest.
The first time this happened to me my contacts were not even synced with Google because I didn't know the contact type should be "Google Contact" in order for it to be synced, and every time I want to create a new contact I have to change its contact type before saving it (I know how to convert existing contacts but please tell me if there is another method to automate the process for new contacts).
I don't know what you think of this phone, but I am pretty sure that my new mobile phone won't be related to the LG family.
Cheers all!
i've never experienced data loss with any of the ROMs
recl said:
i've never experienced data loss with any of the ROMs
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Me too...
Inviato dal mio LG-P970 con Zeus V6.39
All of the described below seems more than an user problem than your phone, btw, I never lose contacts or data
ErnuB said:
All of the described below seems more than an user problem than your phone, btw, I never lose contacts or data
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You seem to have a good control of your P970, can you expert explain to us how data loss can be a user problem?
Well the best solution is to NOT sync your contacts with Google.
It can either delete new contacts when you restore, or it restores deleted contacts, personally it's crap lol.
Just save them all on your SIM!!! If ever you lose Sim contacts like that. then it's your SIM which is damaged.
I NEVER experienced such problem.
And just to say, Optimus Black is not a crappy phone at all! Mind the way you define it.... Not because you are having contacts problems that it's a crappy phone... It may be an app causing this problem, your SIM card which is damaged, or whatever else.
Yes it's a user problem, we don't know what are your settings after a full wipe and whatever you do wrong or what applications you install that wipes the contact list.
From the first android phone that i had years ago, g1, copied the sim numbers to phone and after adding the google account, google synced it automaticaly and saved all my contacts to google account.
Since then i've added/deleted several contacts, changed several phones (at least 10 with android), and every time i added in the google account to it the contacts where synced.
I think i flashed over 100 different roms, never bricked a phone, even though i used several methods to root and flash recovery, hardest method was on g1 and i think it was the most inteligent one, if any of you had one
Now i'm on zeus 7, so it must be your fault
Sent from my LG-P970 using Tapatalk 2
no need of google syncing or SIM backup.
contacts -> import/export ->export to sd card.
now u have a [email protected] card. just back it up on your computer or online storage and restore as many times u want. no tension.
in case of newer saves, just delete the old vcf and redo the process or just save normally. (the vcf's will be named progressively, 000,001,002...)
hope i helped.
regards,
achyut.
If your coming from somewhere else where you don't have contacts backuped on sd and only on sim.
Sent from my LG-P970 using Tapatalk 2
The contacts should be stored on your google acc.
Sent from my Phone with ultrasound
yaz87 said:
You seem to have a good control of your P970, can you expert explain to us how data loss can be a user problem?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No need for sarcasm, I just don't find that annoying chosing google when creating a contact, a small fee for the great service i get in return
Thank you all for your participation .
Maybe "crappy" is not the right word to describe a P970 here as I have seen it has many fans (I did not mean to be offensive), and maybe you have a point if you never had any bad experiences with your devices, but what happened with me was annoying!
I would like to assume that I did something wrong with the phone the first three times I lost my contacts (it also happened when it was brand new - no flashes done or ROMs installed), but do you think the following is too wrong?
1. installed a clean Zeus 7 after multiple wipes/restore factory settings and cache wipes (using cwm in a patched V20B software version)
2. the ONLY apps that I installed were :whatsapp, viber, facebook, google translate, french language pack for the keyboard, and google maps
3. randomly I unlocked the phone once to see that my contacts were lost
As simple as that.
My OB sometimes clean my sms box... but i think it's related to OC and UV... when i set for example: [email protected] and [email protected], after some time my smss are gone, and it's almost as plain as the nose on your face (in my case).
I use titanium backup to save them and restore after loosing them, but after seting my cpu to stable config, sms are where they should be.
i've had a small problem with the p970 but that was a google problem.
i had my contacts stored on my google account, but wenever i made a new contact it wasn't stored in google.. so when i flashed a new rom the latest additions to my contacts were gone.
but as most of the people allready said, do not sync your contacts but export them to your sd card. works flawless..
but i never experienced the problems you have, performance is realy good with the great custom roms we have here at xda.
i have my p970 for 6 months or so and i'm very happy with it.
You need to sync your contacts to.
Not just save the on your phone.
Sent from my Phone with ultrasound
When we save a contact name with 2 mobile nos. (mobile contact and home contact).
When trying to save to SIM those contact.....saving is done only mobile contact.....the remaining is not saving...any solution..
I know about saving in vcf file...But I just want to know saving in SIM multiple nos with a single contact like vcf file..
sekhar13515 said:
When we save a contact name with 2 mobile nos. (mobile contact and home contact).
When trying to save to SIM those contact.....saving is done only mobile contact.....the remaining is not saving...any solution..
I know about saving in vcf file...But I just want to know saving in SIM multiple nos with a single contact like vcf file..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
S
SIM cards have relatively limited storage capabilities. They can store a contact and a number in each memory slot (I don't know if there is another piece of information that can be stored) but definitely it can't store two numbers for the same contact name that's why you see "X (home)" and "X(mobile)" for example as two separate entities.
I have the same problems with op - it has erased my contacts randomly 3-4 times in my 16 months of using it. Unrooted - official roms (2.2 and 2.3, various firmwares).
And a couple times sd card was 'destroyed' - losing everything stored there. Of course after reformatting sd card was fine....
I understand it is not a common issue - else more noise would be made around this issue, but something must be wrong with some batches.
A real disappointiment this phone.
sekhar13515 said:
I know about saving in vcf file...But I just want to know saving in SIM multiple nos with a single contact like vcf file..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It is simply not possible. The form of storing contacts data on SIM is rather ancient but it is industrial standard.
All I can say is the hardware is not at fault for the problems OP has listed in his post, it's a software thing.
Let's say it is possible to switch to a non-Google ROM. say Windows Phone 8 which doesn't sync with Google for its contact, the contacts will likely stay intact.
edit - Of course before anyone start jumping over Windows Phone 8 on our phones, no it's not happening and I'm using an easier example of switching OS to demonstrate that the hardware has nothing to do with software issues.

[Q] Whatsapp Backup

Hey,
Has anyone ever looked into how the Whatsapp Backup is stored? It can be used after reinstalling the app, but not after hard resetting/flashing/etc. So it should be stored on the phone, but not the normal isolated storage of the app since I can reinstall it and use the backup then.
Is there special access necessary or could other apps also access (and modify/export) this backup? I'm asking this because I hope to find a way to make a backup that really is useful, I almost only write via whatsapp because SMS cost way more than internet here. Thanks!
why do you think whatsapp isnt useing isolated storage? shure it is, but you still cant access it - unless you have a interopt unlocked device
the reason you can restore, is that the app id stays the same.. you could try to deploy an older (uncrypted) whatsapp xap to your phone, if the app id still stays the same (and im not shure it does! actually i think it doesnt..) you would gain access... again, thats total theory! i havent tryed this, and it has propably the potential to mess up your backup...
maybe GoodDayToDie has some more info about the app-id thing.. i'll also do a quick research
tfBullet said:
why do you think whatsapp isnt useing isolated storage? shure it is, but you still cant access it - unless you have a interopt unlocked device
the reason you can restore, is that the app id stays the same.. you could try to deploy an older (uncrypted) whatsapp xap to your phone, if the app id still stays the same (and im not shure it does! actually i think it doesnt..) you would gain access... again, thats total theory! i havent tryed this, and it has propably the potential to mess up your backup...
maybe GoodDayToDie has some more info about the app-id thing.. i'll also do a quick research
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the reply! I din't know files in the isolated storage keep being there after you uninstall the app..
I tried deploying an old Version (1.4) of Whatsapp and it replaced the current one, so it should use the same app id. I didn't find anything in the isolated storage, but the backup is still there when I reinstall it from the store. I'll try launching the deployed app first now.
have you checked out the IsolatedStorageSettings?
Let me have a quick look where this thing is on my harddrive... when i find it, i'll be able to tell you where / how it saves the backup
tfBullet said:
have you checked out the IsolatedStorageSettings?
Let me have a quick look where this thing is on my harddrive... when i find it, i'll be able to tell you where / how it saves the backup
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nope, I have no real clue how to do that, the only thing I can is deploying apps and watching their isolated storage thanks!!
they used "messages.sdf" & "contacts.sdf" before, but then at some version they started to migrate this files into a database.. not shure where it gets stored, or if you can access it with simply browsing the IsoStoreage... ill make a quick test project to test out how or if we could access it..
EDIT: actually i was talking **** the .sdf files are already databases, and the data still resides there... and forgot to mention: even if you couldn't see the database files, you should see the user-picture thumbnails that reside in "cphotos/" + some-sha1-hashed-userinfo...
IsoStore is cleared when an app is uninstalled. So far as I know, this is instant, as part of the app removal process, although I suppose I haven't actually checked that. However, apps can (and many do) implement a backup situation to cover this use case by using a unique identifier that survives a re-install. There are several places such IDs can come from. Since the one you have survives app installs but *not* OS reflashing (even though you presumably sign on with the same Live ID afterward), I'm guessing it's a value that uniquely identifies your OS install and is randomly generated the first time the OS boots. Re-flashing counts as a new install, I guess.
I'd have to investigate further to be sure. There could be other mechanics at play, such as the OS keeping the data around for a short time in case you re-install the app, or the app storing its data in some other (off-phone) location. It's not storing it in some special folder within the phone, though; there's nowhere else it could!
Backup history with Whatapp on Android. Then check the backup file on:
/sdcard/WhatsApp/Databases/msgstore.db.crypt
Or
/data/data/com.whatsapp/databases/msgstore.db and wa.db (root)
Coweri said:
Backup history with Whatapp on Android. Then check the backup file on:
/sdcard/WhatsApp/Databases/msgstore.db.crypt
Or
/data/data/com.whatsapp/databases/msgstore.db and wa.db (root)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry, but this is Windows Phone, not android..
@GoodDayToDie so, there is no simple way like deploying an app with the same ID and trying to access the backup with it?
Since the data would have been deleted when the old app was removed (and since you can't sideload an app with the same Product ID as an existing Store app), no, that won't work (well, it didn't in WP7; I guess you could try again here; some things are somewhat less secure now than before).
th0mas96 said:
GoodDayToDie so, there is no simple way like deploying an app with the same ID and trying to access the backup with it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wait for a interop-unlock... thats the way to go in this case.
Until then, you can send your conversations to yourself by mail (option form the context menue)
GoodDayToDie said:
IsoStore is cleared when an app is uninstalled. So far as I know, this is instant, as part of the app removal process, although I suppose I haven't actually checked that. However, apps can (and many do) implement a backup situation to cover this use case by using a unique identifier that survives a re-install. There are several places such IDs can come from. Since the one you have survives app installs but *not* OS reflashing (even though you presumably sign on with the same Live ID afterward), I'm guessing it's a value that uniquely identifies your OS install and is randomly generated the first time the OS boots. Re-flashing counts as a new install, I guess.
I'd have to investigate further to be sure. There could be other mechanics at play, such as the OS keeping the data around for a short time in case you re-install the app, or the app storing its data in some other (off-phone) location. It's not storing it in some special folder within the phone, though; there's nowhere else it could!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
GoodDayToDie, any news about this Whatsapp backup feature in Windows Phone? Is it possible to utilize this feature as an "ordinary" developer?
I would have to reverse engineer the app to see how its backup feature works. The most likely explanation - that it's storing the backup "in the cloud" using the device ID (which resets when you do a hard reset, I think) - is easily possible for any app so long as you provide the storage space...
GoodDayToDie said:
I would have to reverse engineer the app to see how its backup feature works. The most likely explanation - that it's storing the backup "in the cloud" using the device ID (which resets when you do a hard reset, I think) - is easily possible for any app so long as you provide the storage space...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That could be an explanation. But then the Whatsapp developers could easily offer a full backup, as on other platforms, linked to the phone number or something. Then you could restore the messages even after a phone exchange. But who knows what's in their heads ...
GoodDayToDie said:
I would have to reverse engineer the app to see how its backup feature works. The most likely explanation - that it's storing the backup "in the cloud" using the device ID (which resets when you do a hard reset, I think) - is easily possible for any app so long as you provide the storage space...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nope, it doesn't seem to be online.. it backups pretty big chats extremely fast with 2 bars of GPRS, so it can't be via internet.. it even backups without connection at all. That's the weird thing.. how are apps even allowed to store files that keep being there after an uninstall?
There are a couple really sneaky ways you could do that; one that comes to mind is creating a fake "image" or "ringtone" or similar, serializing the data to it, and then looking for it the "first" time the app is run after installing. However, I'm definitely more curious now. There are folders which apps can request permissions to write to, but usually that's a trick limited to "second-party" apps (OEMs, etc.) and prohibited for third parties.
I've already looked into the code, as far as i can tell there is no online backup feature. it just stores the conversations in a database.
And to answer yout question schluff: no there is absolutley no way the usual developera to utilize this.
btw: @GoodDayToDie could you provide us the newest WhatsApp XAP (2.11.312.0)?
When I get the chance to extract it of my computer, yeah. It's really hard to get full FS access working these days, so I'm looking into other ways to access the install folders and storage of other Apps.
here you go
edit: I've changed nothing, so it's the whole install folder in this zip file
Thanks for the extraction! Obviously, I can't do anything with it
However, if anyone is interested in this too, in the following versions it seems to backup to the SD card, at least @Nazwzil8 reported so at twitter: https://twitter.com/Nawzil8/status/410486248156172288 he reported a lot about whatsapp, he seems a legit beta tester.

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